Paper towel holder



Nov. 1, 1966 J. A. RHEINSTROM PAPER TOWEL HOLDER Filed April 6, 1964INVENTOR- United States Patent 3,282,519 PAPER TOWEL HOLDER Jack A.Rheinstrom, 249 E. 48th St., New York, N.Y. Filed Apr. 6, 1964, Ser. No.357,466 8 Claims. (Cl. 24255.2)

This invention relates to holders or dispensers for roll materials suchas paper towels and the like. The invention especially relates to suchholders having opposing support members for engaging the ends of a rollfor mounting the roll to a wall while permitting rotation of the rollduring withdrawal of towels therefrom.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a new and usefulroll holder of the character described.

It is also the object of this invention to provide a new and useful rollholder which is lightweight, compact, and not susceptible to unduedamage, so that the holder can be commercially shipped in a disassembledform but can be assembled to a locked, strong structure for use.

It is another object to provide a new and useful assembled roll holderin which holding of a roll tends to retain the holder againstdisassembling.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a new and usefulconnecting and/or locking system for a roll holder to lock rollsupporting or engaging members to a mounting structure.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and usefulroll holder in accordance with any of the foregoing objects which ispleasing in appearance.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description' and thedrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a paper towel roll holder including awall mounting portion and a roll supporting portion in the form of apair of facing roll end supports, and embodying a form of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a view of a portion of the holder of FIGURE 1 from the rearthereof with a roll supporting arm exploded from the wall mountingmember or portion;

FIGURE 3 is a view of a portion of the front surface of the mountingmember shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a section along line 44 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a section along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail a'specific embodiment of the invention with the understandingthat the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification ofthe principles of the invention and is not intended to limit theinvention to the embodiment illustrated.

Turning now to the figures, in FIGURE 1 there is shown a device for wallmounting a roll 13 of paper towel material or the like of the typehaving a hollow central core by which the roll can be supported at eachend thereof. The device includes a mounting portion or member, shown inthe form of mounting plate 14. Mounted on and supported from themounting member is a roll supporting means shown in the form of a pairof opposing roll supporting arms 15.

The mounting plate 14 and supporting arms 15 may be of plastic or othersuitable material. Preferably arms 15 are resilient to an extentpermitting their flexure while inserting the roll of paper towelmaterial into the paper holding device 12, the resiliency of the armsreturning the arms to a position supporting the roll 13 therebetween.

Referring to FIGURES 1-3, mounting plate 14 includes a front surface 16and a back surface 17. A peripheral flange 18 upstands or projectsoutward from back surface 17 defining a chamber within the limits offlange 18. The chamber is bordered along one side by back sur- 3,282,519Patented Nov. 1, 1966 face 17 and, when holding device 12 is mounted ona wall, the chamber is bordered along the other side by the wall. A pairof bores 19 are provided through the plate 14 from the front surface 16thereof. A cylindrical cup 22 extends outwardly from the back surface 17at each bore 19 and surrounds the back of the bore 19. The bottom 23 ofcup 22 is generally coplanar with the free edge of the peripheral flange18. In bottom 23 there is provided a generally central circular opening24 for receiving a screw or other mounting implement from said frontsurface with the screw threaded end of the screw projecting throughopening 24 and the screw head recessed within the cup 22 below thesurface 16. The screw head engages the cup bottom 23 around opening 22for securing the mounting plate 14 to a wall or the like.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 through 5, a lock receiver, in the form of akeyhole slot 27, is provided in the mounting plate 14 for locking eacharm 15 to mounting plate 14. The key-way portions of the keyhole slots27 extend in directions away from each other.

Each supporting arm 15 is an arm of an angle member 28 which alsoincludes a leg 29 generally normal to arm 15. A lock member in the formof a key 32 is provided on the outer surface of each leg 29, integralwith member 28. The key 32 is configurated to be received in keyholeslot 27 in the normal manner for joining a key with a keyhole slot. Eachkey 32 includes a pair of guide surfaces 33 along opposing sides thereoffor guiding or aligning the key within the key-way portion of thekeyhole slot 27.

Projecting rearwardly from mounting plate 14, on the back surface 17thereof, there is provided a guide means at each keyhole slot in theform of spaced guide walls 34 along either side of the key-way portionof the keyhole slot 27. A second guide member or guide block 35 isprovided intermediate the guide walls 34 at each keyhole slot 27 andgenerally defines the limits of the key-way portion. Guide walls 34 andblock 35 are integral with mounting member 14. The guide block 35 isprovided with a surface adjacent the entry portion of keyhole slot 27for receiving the key 32 and tightly receiving the undersurface of thekey 32 in a locking position raised above the back surface 17 ofmounting plate 14 and between walls 34. In its locking position, key 32locks arms 15 in their roll supporting position on mounting member 14.After insertion of key 32 through the entry portion and during slidingof key 32 along the key-way portion of slot 27, the guide walls 34facially engage the guide surfaces 33 of the key 32, blocking orretaining the key 32 and supporting arm member 15 against rotation orpivotal movement relative to mounting plate 14.

The front surface 16 of plate 14 is tapered away from a central ridge 36to each side of ridge 36. Ridge 36 traverses each of the bores 19 andkeyho-le slots 27 in a direction along the length of the keyhole slots.On each leg 29 .of angle member 28 there is provided an outer surface 37surrounding key 32 for engaging and tightly receiving the front surface16 of mounting member 14 when the key 32 is in its locking position.

There is provided on each of arms 15 on the inwardly disposed surfacethereof, a roll and engaging flange 38 (FIGURE 1) of generallycylindrical configuration. The flange 38 is of a size for insertion intothe end of a hollow core normally included in paper towel rolls, forsupporting the paper towel roll from the ends thereof in the usualsupported disposition.

In mounting and assembling the device, the mounting plate 14 is securedagainst a wall by screws or the like inserted through openings 24. Keys32 are then engaged with keyhole slots 27 and moved to locked position.With the holder device 12 wall mounted, keys 32 are not in contact withthe wall while in the keyhole slots 27 and are still movable into andthrough keyhole slots 27 by virtue of the spacing of surface 17 from thewall provided by flange 18. It will be noted that the trailing portionof leg 29 comes to rest as a cover over bore 19, thereby hiding the headof a screw or the like used in aflixing plate 14 to the wall, presentinga more pleasing appearance. Also, certain design features as indicatedat 42 may be provided on the front surface 16 and may extend as acontinuation of the design. onto the visible surfaces of legs 28 or 29to further enhance the appearance.

It will be apparent that the structure described hereinabove is capableof being shipped in a disassembled form, conserving shipping space. Inthe preferred form, where the mounting and roll supporting members areformed of a resilient lightweight plastic material, the device can bemore economically shipped where weight is a consideration. The devicecan be easily mounted and assembled as described hereinabove to providea tightly locked structure of pleasing appearance capable of supportinga roll of paper towel material or the like. In normal use, with the rollof paper towel material mounted between arms 15, the arms are blockedagainst movement toward each other, thereby blocking withdrawal orunlocking movement of keys 32 from the keyhole slots so long as thedevice is in use.

I claim:

1. A device for wall mounting a roll of paper towel material having ahollow central core, which device com prises a mounting member havingfront and back surfaces, a plurality of bores through the mountingmember from the front surface, recess means at each bore, lock receivermeans in said mounting member, roll supporting means, roll engagingmeans on the roll supporting means, lock means on the roll supportingmeans and adapted to engage said lock receiver means and movable inengagement therewith to a locked position, means for guiding said lockmeans, said front surface facially engaging the roll supporting meanswith said lock means in locked position, means blocking said supportingmeans against substantial pivotal movement relative said mounting meanswith said lock means in locked position and means covering said recessmeans at said front surface with said lock means in locked position andsaid lock receiving means being disposed to receive said lock means inlocked position in the direction of normal urging of said rollsupporting members by a roll of paper towels or the like supportedtherebetween.

2. A device for wall mounting a roll of paper towel material having ahollow central core, which device comprises a mounting member, keyholeslot means in said mounting member for receiving a key, a pair of rollsupporting members of angle configuration, each including first and second legs generally normal to each other, roll engaging means on thefirst leg of each roll supporting member, key means on the second leg ofeach roll supporting member and adapted to engage said keyhole slotmeans and movable in engagement therewith to a locked position, guidingmeans on said key means, guide means along said keyhole slot means forengaging said guiding means for guiding the keys means to lockedposition, and means blocking said key means against rotation relative tosaid keyhole slot means.

3. A device for wall mounting a roll of paper towel material having ahollow central core, which device comprises a plastic wall mountingplate having front and back surfaces, 2. pair of bores through the platefrom the front surface, a peripheral flange extending from the plate atthe back surface thereof defining a recess within the limits of theperipheral flange and the back surface of the plate, a cylindricalflange surrounding each bore on said back surface and extendinggenerally the thickness of said recess as defined by said peripheralflange, a ring flange generally concentric with each cylindrical flangeand extending inward from the free end of the cylindrical flangedefining a circular opening for receiving a screw from said firstsurface with the screw head recessed in said cylindrical flange andengaging said ring flange, a keyhole slot adjacent each bore forreceiving a key from said front surface, a pair of roll supportingplastic members of angle configuration each including a first resilientleg and a second leg generally normal to each other, a roll engaging andsupporting cylindrical flange projecting inward from the first leg ofeach roll mounting member, a key projecting outward from the second legof each roll supporting member and adapted to engage one of said keyholeslots from the front surface of said plate and movable in said key-wayto a locked position in a direction away from the other keyhole slot, aguiding surface on each key, and guide means contained in said recessalong each keyhole slot for reinforcing the keyhole slot and engagingthe guiding surface ofthe key during movement of the key to lockedposition, said guiding surface engaging said guide means with said keyin locked position to block said key against rotation relative to saidkeyhole slot, said front surface of said plate tapering to a raisedcentral ridge traversing said bores and keyhole slots in a directionalong said keyhole slots, the outer surface of the second leg of each ofsaid roll mounting members being of a configuration for generallyfacially engaging and tightly receiving said tapered first surface withsaid key in locked position, said second leg being of sufiicient extentto cover said pair of bores at said first surface with said key inlocked position, and said keyhole slots being properly spaced from eachother with said keys in locked position for holding said roll supportingmembers with said roll engaging flanges facing each other and spacedfrom each other the correct distance for holding a roll of paper towelstherebetween whereby a roll supported leg between said roll supportingflanges blocks return of said keys through said keyhole slots in adirection away from locking position.

4. A device for wall mounting a roll of paper towels or the like, whichdevice comprises a mounting member, a pair of separate roll supportingarms, lock and receiver means on said mounting member and rollsupporting arms, means for guiding said lock means in said receivermeans, said lock means being adapted to engage said lock receiver meansand being movable relative thereto in engagement therewith to lockedposition in the direction of normal urging against said roll supportingarms by a roll of paper towels or the like supported therebetween, saidlock and receiver means including blocking means for blocking movementof the arms away from each other in said locked position.

5. A device for wall mounting a roll of paper towels or the like, whichdevice comprises a mounting member, a pair of roll supporting members ofangle configuration, each including first and second legs generallynormal to each other, roll engaging means on the first leg of each rollsupporting member, receiver means in said mounting member for receivingand locking said supporting members in a locked position, the second legof each roll supporting member including means for engaging saidreceiver means and movable into engagement therewith to said lockedposition, guiding means for guiding said engaging means to the lockedposition, and means blocking said engaging means against rotationrelative to said receiver means.

6. A device for wall mounting a roll of paper towels or the likecomprising a mounting member and a pair of supporting arms, each of saidsupporting arms including a base portion and a roll supporting portionintegral with and projecting outwardly from said base portion, recessedbore means in said mounting member for attaching said mounting member toa wall, means removably attaching said arms by their base portions tosaid mounting member for supporting the roll between their rollsupporting portions, said base portion including an extension comprissQQ Q means for covering said recessed bore means with said .armsattached to said mounting member by said attaching means.

7. A device for wall mounting a roll of paper towels or the likecomprising mounting means, a pair of roll supporting arms, eachincluding an arm portion rigidly connected to and integral with a legportion and projecting in a generally perpendicular direction relativethereto, each arm portion including a surface for receiving an end ofthe roll of paper towels or the like, and means for slidably receivingand removably locking said leg portions to said mounting means againstpivotal movement relative thereto with said roll engaging surfacesfacing each other and said arm portions properly spaced to receive theroll of paper towels or the like, said arm portions being sufiicientlyflexible for insertion of a roll of paper towels or the like into aninserted position between said receiving surfaces, said receiving andlocking means including means blocking removal of the roll supportingarms with the roll in inserted position.

8. A device for wall mounting a roll of paper towels or the likecomp-rising a mounting member having two ends, roll supporting meanscomprising two separate supporting members each having an interconnectedarm and leg generally normal to each other, lock receiver means adjacentthe ends of said mounting member for slideably receiving the legs of thesupporting members in a direc- References Cited by the Examiner UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,098,861 6/1914 Wheeler 24255.2 1,263,725 4/1918 Allmand211123 2,052,950 9/1936 Stirrup 24255.2 2,621,357 12/ 1952 Stuman 248225X 3,038,676 6/1962 Mayer 24255.2 3,088,686 5/1963 Curry 242-5523,159,368 12/1964 Ahlbin et al. 248225 FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

25 MERVIN STEIN, STANLEY N. GILREATH, G. F.

MAUTZ, Assistant Examiners.

4. A DEVICE FOR WALL MOUNTING A ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS OR THE LIKECOMPRISING MOUNTING MEANS, A PAIR OF ROLL SUPPORTING ARMS, EACHINCLUDING AN ARM PORTION RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO AND INTEGRAL WITH A LEGPORTION AND PROJECTING IN A GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR DIRECTION RELATIVETHERETO, EACH ARM PORTION INCLUDING A SURFACE FOR RECEIVING AN END OFTHE ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS OR THE LIKE, AND MEANS FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVINGAND REMOVBALY LOCKING SAID LEG PORTIONS TO SAID MOUNTING MEANS AGAINSTPIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO WITH SAID ROLL ENGAGING SURFACESFACING EACH OTHER AND SAID ARM PORTIONS PROPERLY SPACES TO RECEIVE THEROLL OF PAPER TOWELS OR TTHE LIKE, SAID ARM PORTIONS BEING SUFFICIENTLYFLEXIBLE FOR INSERTION OF A ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS OR THE LIKE INTO ANINSERTED POSITION BETWEEN END OF THE ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS OR THE LIKE,AND MEANS INCLUDING MEANS BLOCKING REMOVAL OF THE ROLL SUPPORTING ARMSWITH THE ROLL IN INSERTED POSITION.